Forget the Open Floor Plan--It's Time to Bring Back Walls

Here are 10 tips that are seldom mentioned in listing houses that just might put your property over the edge. 1. Make sure your mailbox looks amazing First impressions matter, which is why you should check out your curb appeal. Is the driveway cracked? Is the mailbox old and leaning? The best sales rest on keeping these details in mind. 2. Make the right use of your rooms If you use the dining room for a kid’s playroom, or if the loft is empty because you don’t have a use for it, restage your rooms so they reflect their original purpose. Buyers want to see the space used in a traditional way—with a dining table in the dining room, a desk and chair in the office—to envision themselves living there. 3. Reglaze the bathroom “The best tip I use to get top dollar for some of our houses is to reglaze an old bathroom that has a terrible color of tile—like pink or green,” says  Michael Pinter , a house flipper in Long Island, NY, with  LMPK Properties . “We reglaze the bathroom white ...

Pick a variety of plants and flowers To help support the full life cycle of hummingbirds, experts recommend planting   native flowering plants, vines, shrubs, and trees. “Native plants like trumpet honeysuckle, bee balm, and hummingbird sage are just a few of the nectar-providing options that hummingbirds are attracted to,” says  John Rowden , senior director for bird-friendly communities at the National Audubon Society. Gardeners can use Audubon’s  native plants database  to find what plants are best for their local area. “If you have space, it’s ideal to provide a variety of plants. Grouping similar plants together and choosing species with different blooming periods will help ensure that there is a steady supply of flowers and nectar,” says Rowden. “If done deliberately, you can support hummingbirds year-round—if you’re lucky enough to have them throughout the year.” Katrina Godshalk  for High Country Gardens says nectar-rich perennials are a good choice to p...

Here are five absolute must-haves in your outdoor space this summer, and all the details on where to get them. 1. Indoor-outdoor spaces One of the best ways to make your outdoor spaces feel irresistibly cozy this season is by making them feel like they’re  inside . Think: decor features such as extra throw pillows, blankets, and even some of your living room furniture (all approved for outdoor wear and tear, of course). But don’t just take our word for it. According to a recent Google report, “indoor-outdoor spaces” is one of the most significantly searched trends of the season, and it’s seen a 155.56% increase in popularity from last year. “Indoor-outdoor living spaces—adding comfy sofas and coffee tables to the backyard—became an easy solution to those feelings of being cooped up during quarantine,” says  Living Spaces  designer  Shelby Greene . “2020 was all about finding comfort in trying times, and when it comes to the outdoors, comforting pieces are here to sta...

Summer is here, and you may be thinking about spending more time in your backyard. With a little decluttering, organizing and styling, you can turn your outdoor area into a fun and relaxing space for lounging and gathering. Keep reading for a few ideas to help get your outdoor space in tip-top shape. Tom Meaney Architect, AIA As with most organizing projects, my modus operandi is “declutter, organize and style” — in that order. Each project you take from start to finish can be as small or as large as you can manage. In other words, you can take one small category, such as yard games, and go through the entire process of decluttering, organizing and then styling them before moving on to another category. Alternatively, you can do all of your decluttering first (including many categories at a time) and then organize and style afterward. The former may be less overwhelming and work well if you have only small chunks of time and you already know where you want to place things. However, the...